This 9-5 worker LOST almost $1M opening a tanning salon!
This 9-5 worker LOST almost $1M opening a tanning salon! And here are the 3 lessons I learned from his story that could potentially save you years of stress and hundreds of thousands of dollars.
I'm not sharing this to scare anyone.
I'm sharing it because $1 million is a lot of money.
Years of savings.
Children's college funds.
Countless hours of hard work.
And I hope this story helps someone avoid making the same mistake.
A few years ago, when I was running my warehouse and fulfillment operation with my partner.
A gentleman named Joseph, in his mid 40s, looking to start his first business, stopped by to visit us after seeing our posts on social media.
He saw our operation.
He saw the inventory.
He saw the orders coming in.
He saw the systems.
And naturally, he had a lot of questions.
I spent a few hours sharing everything I could with him and genuinely hoped he would start building an online business as well.
After that day, we stayed in touch for a little while.
Then life happened.
Fast forward about two years later.
I reached out to check on him.
That's when he told me something that shocked me.
The tanning salon he had opened was gone.
And after adding everything up, he was down nearly $1 million.
Money that came from years of working in corporate America.
Money that was supposed to help his family.
Money that was supposed to help his children.
So naturally I asked him:
"What happened?"
And these were the biggest lessons that came out of our conversation.
Lesson #1: Don't confuse confidence with due diligence.
One of the reasons he invested was because other people around him were investing too.
Everyone seemed confident.
Everyone said it was a good opportunity.
But confidence doesn't replace research.
Always verify the numbers yourself.
Never invest based solely on someone else's excitement.
Lesson #2: Test the proof of concept first.
This was probably the biggest lesson.
Many new entrepreneurs want to go all-in immediately.
Big office.
Big lease.
Big payroll.
Big investment.
But business doesn't care about your excitement.
Business cares about proof.
Instead of risking hundreds of thousands of dollars upfront, test small.
Validate demand.
Learn the market.
Make mistakes when they're cheap.
That's one of the reasons I was attracted to Amazon.
My first product launch cost a fraction of what most traditional businesses require.
I could test before committing large amounts of capital.
Lesson #3: Follow leverage.
The more I studied business, the more I realized something:
The wealthiest entrepreneurs don't build everything themselves.
They leverage systems that already exist.
With a traditional business, you're often dependent on:
• Location
• Employees
• Rent
• Local economy
• Local traffic
With Amazon, I was able to leverage:
• Existing customers
• Existing traffic
• Existing logistics
• Existing warehouses
• Existing fulfillment systems
Instead of building the infrastructure, I plugged into infrastructure that already existed.
That's leverage.
And leverage gives you options.
Today, that same gentleman is rebuilding and exploring Amazon because he wants a lower-risk way to build a business.
And honestly, I don't blame him.
The lesson isn't that traditional businesses are bad.
The lesson is that your first business should focus on learning, testing, and minimizing risk.
Protect your downside first.
Then scale your upside.
Because one wrong business decision can cost years of your life.
And one good decision can completely change your family's future.
That's one of the reasons I continue teaching Amazon.
Not because it's easy.
Not because it's a get-rich-quick scheme.
But because it allows ordinary people to leverage an existing ecosystem of millions of customers and world-class infrastructure without needing hundreds of thousands of dollars upfront.
If you're looking for a more recession-resistant business model that gives you the ability to work remotely, build an asset, and create more time freedom for your family.
I'm hosting a FREE workshop this upcoming Thursday @ 8 PM CST where I show you the BTS with real # and case studies to help you get started building your dream business and regain your time and financial freedom leveraging the biggest e-commerce platform in the world, AMZ.
Sign up here>>https://amzshifu.com/live-training [limited slots available]
To your Success!
Shifu Justin
Already selling on Amazon or looking to have a mentor by your side?
https://calendly.com/shifujustin/amzpassiveincome1-1
Why AMZSHIFU UNIVERSITY Exists & Our Mission:
We started AMZSHIFU with my cofounders because we know what it feels like to try and fail, again and again.
When I first began my Amazon journey, I didn’t have a mentor. I tried to figure everything out myself, spent thousands of dollars making mistakes, and learned from the wrong “gurus.” It took me years to realize that success is like climbing a mountain:
If you’ve never been to the top, how do you know which path to take?
The climb is steep, and the wrong turn can cost you months or everything. Everything changed when I invested in the right mentor who had already made it to the summit and could guide me step-by-step. That’s when my life and business transformed.
Our mission at AMZSHIFU UNIVERSITY is simple:
To give everyday people a clear roadmap, the right network, and personalized mentorship so they can build real, sustainable businesses without wasting years in trial and error.
We believe in our students. We show up for them. But they must also show up for themselves because no one can steer the ship for you.
